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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28170609">40</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/JaredKleinman/pseuds/JaredKleinman'>JaredKleinman</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Pacific Rim (Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Established Relationship, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Not Pacific Rim: Uprising (2018) Compliant, but only a little hurt</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 19:33:59</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,011</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28170609</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/JaredKleinman/pseuds/JaredKleinman</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>„It‘s nothing.“</p><p>He knew Newt would start to pick this one apart, and maybe, just maybe he wanted him to. Maybe Hermann actually did want to talk about it after all. Maybe he didn‘t want to anxiously stare at the date on his newspaper, maybe he wanted to turn on his phone again without having to fear getting reminded of how his time was running out.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Newton Geiszler/Hermann Gottlieb</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>21</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>40</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span> „Herms, what‘s wrong?“, Newt finally asked after thirty minutes spent shooting Hermann worried looks. Newt had been dancing around this question for days now and Hermann had been able to distract Newt‘s mind from the matter as soon as it occured because – quite obviously – he didn‘t want to talk about it. He had tried to keep it from Newt as best as he could, either by inviting him on fancy dates or switching the topic as soon as Newt brought it up – unfortunately though, Hermann has never been a particularly good actor. His academic work was progressing as slowly as never before, he just couldn‘t bring himself to eat more than strictly necessary and his sleep was restless. It didn‘t need someone as observative as Newt to figure out that something must be the matter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hermann cast a glance to the calendar on the wall and felt something clenching inside of his chest. It was the end of May. Which meant soon would be the first day of June and </span>
  <em>
    <span>that </span>
  </em>
  <span>meant that-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>„Herms…?“, Newt asked hesitantly and Hermann snapped back into the present.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>„I‘m sorry, my dear.“, he said and gave Newt a warm smile. „I don‘t know why you are bringing this up again, I have told you the last dozens of times and I will tell you again: I am fine. Really.“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Newt scowled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>„</span>
  <em>
    <span>Telling </span>
  </em>
  <span>me that you are fine and </span>
  <em>
    <span>actually being </span>
  </em>
  <span>fine are two very different things.“, he pointed out and oh, sometimes Hermann hated the way Newt knew him so well. He sighed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>„Have you seen the new paper, Jänich and Forster have-“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>„Hermann you won‘t distract me from this again. You always try to change the topic when I ask you how you are, you barely eat anything and during the nights I have had your fist in my stomach, face or crotch more often than I can count or am comfortable with. You even stopped correcting me when I call you Herms.“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>„They had your favourite pasta on the menu today.“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>„Aw </span>
  <em>
    <span>damn,</span>
  </em>
  <span> and I didn‘t – Hermann, I‘m serious, stop doing that.“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Newt was looking at him, judgingly, his t-shirt with the faded band logo of a band he didn‘t listen to anymore was wrinkled and his hair was a mess. His glasses were just a little bit askew from adjusting them earlier and Hermann felt like has never loved a person as much as he loved Newt in that precise moment. The thought came out of nowhere but it made his chest feel warm and fuzzy and maybe that‘s why he leaned back against the sofa, rested his head against the soft pillows, stared at the ceiling and said: „It‘s nothing.“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He knew Newt would start to pick this one apart, and maybe, just maybe he wanted him to. Maybe Hermann actually did want to talk about it after all. Maybe he didn‘t want to anxiously stare at the date on his newspaper, maybe he wanted to turn on his phone again without having to fear getting reminded of how his time was running out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>„So there is something but you think it‘s nothing.“ , Newt concluded and, </span>
  <em>
    <span>dear god,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Hermann thought, </span>
  <em>
    <span>it‘s impossible to love someone more deeply.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>„I will make tea.“, Newt said and got up in order to walk over to their little open kitchen.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Maybe it is possible.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Hermann took a few deep breaths, hoping it would calm him a little from the conversation that was now inevitable. He felt ridiculous. He shouldn‘t get so worked up about something like this. The probability of...Even for the best it was hardly something to consider likely to happen. When Newt came back with two steaming cups of tea Hermann wished he would have fled the room and locked himself in their bedroom instead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>„So.“, Newt said as he placed the mugs on the little table in front of the couch. „I will repeat my question: What‘s wrong?“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hermann sighed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>„It‘s nothing </span>
  <em>
    <span>wrong </span>
  </em>
  <span>per se.“,he said and stirred the spoon inside of his mug. „You know I will turn forty in a few weeks and...it got me thinking, is all.“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>„But you never seemed to have a problem with getting old before.“, Newt answered and took a sip of his still steaming tea. For some reason the insufferable little man seemed to have no response to heat </span>
  <em>
    <span>whatsoever</span>
  </em>
  <span>. He even took the pizza directly from the oven with his bare hands. Sometimes Hermann wondered if the kaiju entrails have done something to his sense of touch.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>„In fact.“, Newt continued with a wicked grin. „I think you would be excited to finally get closer to your mental age.“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hermann half-heartedly hit him with his cane which made Newt laugh and place his mug next to Hermanns in order to avoid any further accidents.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>„No for real now,“, he said and took Hermann‘s hands in his. „You never seemed to have a problem with your birthday  before. What‘s the matter with your fortieth?“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Newt wasn‘t a mathematician, so it was only natural for him to not know the answer to that question, nevertheless did Hermann wish not having to explain this. He just wanted comfort without getting reminded of what it was he wanted to get comforted for.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>„It is going to sound silly, I am afraid.“, he said but Newt only gave him a reassuring smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>„Nah. I don‘t think so.“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>„Alright.“, Hermann began and finally dared to look at Newt‘s face. „You see, it‘s always been a childhood dream of mine to- to-, oh, I feel ridiculous.“, Hermann said and buried his face in his hands. Newt gently disentangled his fingers and interlocked his hand with Hermann‘s right one, pulled it closer to himself and rested their joined hands on his lap. He didn‘t say a word during the process and Hermann gave him a thankful half-smile for that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>„You see, for winning the Fields Medal one has to be under the age of forty.“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There, he said it. Newt could laugh now.</span>
  <span><br/>
<br/>
</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He didn‘t though.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Instead he used his grip on Hermann‘s hand to pull him towards him and wrap him in a tight embrace.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>„</span>
  <em>
    <span>This</span>
  </em>
  <span> is what all of that has been about?“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hermann nodded against his shoulder in embarrassment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>„But that‘s not silly at all!“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>„It‘s overachieving and narcissistic to have </span>
  <em>
    <span>expected </span>
  </em>
  <span>something like this.“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>„But you haven‘t expected it though, have you? You said it‘s been a childhood dream of yours! When I was seven I wanted to be an astronaut even though even then I could barely see without my glasses and couldn‘t run ten meters without feeling like suffocating. And you call yourself an overachiever.”, He let go of Hermann in order to kiss his nose and then look him straight in the eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>„And you can still win the Nobel Prize for physics.“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That made Hermann chuckle against his will. He wrapped his arms around Newt‘s neck and gave him a kiss on the cheek.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>„Thank you.“, he said. Newt pulled Hermann a little bit closer to himself so that he was sitting in front of him, his legs safely tucked over Newt‘s thighs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>„Also they are </span>
  <em>
    <span>idiots </span>
  </em>
  <span>for only accepting work from people under forty. Do you </span>
  <em>
    <span>really</span>
  </em>
  <span> want to get a Medal from those douchebags?“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>„Yes.“, he said, chuckling. „Yes I kind of really want to.“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>„That‘s very irrational, Dr. Gottlieb.“, Newt grinned against Hermann‘s neck and Hermann hit him gently with his flat hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>„Shut up and hand me my tea, Dr. Geiszler.“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>God, he loved him so much.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>„And don‘t call me Herms.“</span>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>A few weeks later Hermann was standing in the kitchen, preparing dinner for the both of them. Newt was out, buying groceries but he should return any minute. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Should. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Maybe he was spending half an hour at the toy store again, only to decide that already had everything of their stock that interested him. He took a look at the calendar and sighed. Tomorrow was his birthday and even though talking to Newt had made things a lot more bearable he still felt a slight melancholy when he thought about it. He shook his head to get rid of those thoughts. Tonight was date night and he didn‘t want to ruin it by getting himself so worked up about something he couldn‘t change. And Newt was right, he could always win the Nobel Prize for physics instead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Hermann was measuring the flour for the sauce he heard a loud crash, and a scream so loud and shrill – and unmistakably Newt – that he felt his blood freezing in his veins. He dropped the pack of flour, the white powder was scattering everywhere, but he couldn‘t care less because apparently, something had gone, very, very wrong.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>„HERMANN!“, he heard, just as shrill as before, „HERMANN COME HERE!“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>he abandoned his cane on the way to the door in favour of getting there sooner, ignored the pain in his leg and ripped the door open only to find his boyfriend right in front of it, breathing heavily. Hermann pulled him in an embrace that was tighter than he wanted to admit to himself later on and cupped Newt‘s face with both hands.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>„What happened, Newt, are you alright? Do you bleed?“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>„What? No! Hermann, I‘m fine. I‘m </span>
  <em>
    <span>fine</span>
  </em>
  <span>.“, he said and unceremoniously shoved a small and flat object against Hermann‘s chest, the other one neglected in order to check if Newt really didn‘t bleed anywhere. „Dude, I am </span>
  <em>
    <span>okay</span>
  </em>
  <span>, don‘t look at me, look at the fucking </span>
  <em>
    <span>letter</span>
  </em>
  <span>!“, Newt squeaked, voice shrill but with excitement as Hermann now realised. He let go of Newt and took a look at the envelope in his hands.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wrong decision. Decidedly the wrong decision to make, because he already didn‘t have his cane, and his knee was hurting and he had nothing to brace himself against and therefore felt his knees give away under his own weight, after seeing a familiar logo on the envelope. Newt caught him before the worst could happen and lifted him up, laughing like a madman. He spun him around and gently placed him back onto his own feet, while Hermann could only cover his mouth with one hand and clutch the envelope even tighter with the other. By the time Newt had led them to their couch the letter was quite severely wrinkled but the black ink stood out as neatly as ever.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>„Open it, Herms! You gotta open it!“, Newt said and clutched Hermann‘s thigh so tightly it should probably hurt but Hermann couldn‘t feel a thing except for the adrenaline rushing through his system. His hands were shaking and after a few failed attempts of opening the envelope he passed it onto Newt who nearly ripped it apart. His hands were shaking just as badly as Hermann‘s but he managed to somehow open the envelope and pull out the letter without damaging it. He straightened the paper and with a quick glance noticed that Hermann was by now burying his face in his hands, shoulders shaking.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>„We are happy to inform You that You have been nominated for the Fields Medal in 2029!“, Newt read and threw the latter somewhere in the direction of the table. Hermann was shaking his head in return.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>„This isn‘t happening. This isn‘t happening.“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>„Yes it is!“, Newt cheered and pulled Hermann‘s hands away from his face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>„You did it, Herms!“, he grinned and wiped the tears away from Hermann‘s cheeks. The other was smiling so wide Newt‘s heart skipped a few beats.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>„I...I can‘t believe this is really happening.“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>„You won the Fields Medal!“, New yelped and threw himself onto his boyfriend in excitement. „You </span>
  <em>
    <span>actually </span>
  </em>
  <span>won the Fields Medal!“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>„Well </span>
  <em>
    <span>at the moment</span>
  </em>
  <span> I am only </span>
  <em>
    <span>nominated </span>
  </em>
  <span>for it.“, Hermann corrected gently but couldn‘t stop smiling nonetheless.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>„You will totally win, dude, who can even </span>
  <em>
    <span>compare </span>
  </em>
  <span>to the work you‘ve done during the war!“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>„You cannot know if I will win.“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>„You will win, dude.“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>„I wouldn‘t be so sure about that.“</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>He won.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I just read that the Fields Medal is awarded every four years, I don't know if you are actually nominated or if you just get honoured right away on a conference but for the sake of this fanfiction I assumed you get nominated.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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